Wire feeder



April 10, 1945. Q J L, os 2,373,589

WIRE FEEDER Filed March 15, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet l CHRONOGIRAPW I I 25 3/ I? INVENTOR E RL LFL. M135.

5 iii; 5 5 m ATTORN: EYE

WIRE FEEDER Filed March 13, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 V INVENTO g ARL LJ.L.NEJE.

J %a/ 9 ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 10, 1945 WIRE FEEDER Carl J. L. Mos, Cincinnati, Ohio, assignor to Remington Arms Company, Inc., Bridgeport, Conn.

a corporation of Delaware Application March 13, 1943, Serial No. 479,080

8 Claims.

The present invention relates to a wire feeder, and particularly an automatic device of this character for use in cooperation with a ballistic chronograph, and having for its object the rapid replacing of the strip of copper wire broken every time a gun is fired in measuring velocity with the chronograph, thus greatly speeding up the testing operation by enabling more ammunition to be tested in a given period.

In measuring the velocity of ammunition, the bullet is caused to pass two successive points in its path spaced a known distance apart, each point being provided with electric circuit-breaking means which is actuated at the instant the' bullet passes it. The two circuits are connected to the ballistic chronograph, which registers the time of flight of the bullet between the successive circuit breaks. The present invention is concerned with a velocity measuring apparatus wherein a wire is strung across the muzzle of the gun as the first target or circuit-breaking means. It has heretofore been the practice for the gunner to thread the muzzle wire between the terminals of the chronograph by hand, and as a large number of shots are usually fired in each velocity test considerable time has been required in the manua1 threading of the wire between each shot, and there was also apt to be slight inaccuracies and variations in the positioning and tensioning of successively threaded wires, depending as it does on the skill and care of the operator.

It is proposed, according to the illustrative embodiment of the invention disclosed herein, to provide an automatic device, operated simply by the manual actuation of a control member, and

by which the broken end of the strip of wire is discarded and a new strip of wire is drawn from a reel and strung across the gun muzzle and ten sioned in this position, these operations being an automatic function of the device initiated by the manual actuation of the control member. It is further proposed to provide an automatic wire feeder which, through elimination of the manual handling and threading of the wire, insures exact uniformity between each successive stringing and more positive electrical connections between the wire and the chronograph.

With the above and other objects in view, an embodiment of the invention is: shown in the accompanying drawings, and this embodiment will be hereinafter more fully described with refdevice, according to the illustrated exemplary embodiment of the invention, and showing the showing the parts in an intermediate position during the stringing of the wire, and showing in dot-and-dash lines the operative position of the parts upon completion of the stringing operation.

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the device, showing the parts in the intermediate position shown in Fig. 5, and also showing in dot-and-dash lines the operative position upon completion of the stringing operation.

Fig. '7 is a horizontal sectional plan view, taken along the line l-'! of Fig. 5, and on an enlarged scale.

Fig. 8 is a detail side elevation of one of the wire gripper holder arms employed in the device.

Fig. 9 is an inner end elevation thereof.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawings. I

Referring to the drawings, the wire feeder device, according to the illustrated exemplary embodiment of the invention, comprises a rectangular frame consisting of a pair of upright metal bars lD-lll connected at their upper ends by a horizontal cross-bar ll, formed of non-conducting material, such as fiber, and secured by set screws lZ-IZ, and connected intermediate their upper and lower ends by a cross-bar l3, also formed of non-conducting material, such as fiber, and secured by countersunk screws l4l4, the cross-bar I3 being in spaced parallel relation below the cross-barl l. Each of the upright bars I0 is provided with a vertical slot l5 having its upper end in line with the undersurface with the erence thereto, and the invention will be finally upper cross-bar H and its lower end in line with the upper surface of the lower cross-bar 13.

In spaced relation below the cross-bar l3 there is provided a horizontal reel supporting shaft l6, having its ends supported in non-conducting flanged washers I 1-", of fiber or the like, set into holes I8-l8 in the upright bars l0, so that the shaft is electrically insulated from the upright bars. Upon this shaft there is rotatably supported for longitudinal movement the wire reel l9 mounted on a non-conducting tubular bushing 28, of wood, fiber, or the like, which projects beyond the ends of the reel, so that in the longitudinal back and forth movement of the reel, as the wire is unwound, the reel will not contact the metal upright bars ill. The reel is positioned upon the bushing 2!) by set screws 2l--2 I, secured in the bushing adjacent each end of the reel. The Wire 22 upon the reel, which is preferably copperwire of the desired gauge and type for velocity testing, is carried upwardly from the reel through a vertical guide slot 23 provided centrally of the forward side of the cross-bar i3, and extending to a depth where its vertical end wall is disposed centrally between the forward and rearward faces of the cross-bar. Hence, the length of wire to be strung vertically in the rectangular frame formed by the upright and cross bars is positioned along the central vertical line inner end the arm 3| isof T-shape in plan, and is laterally slotted, as at 34, to provide upper and lower bearing wing portions and 36 forming the upper and lower walls of the slot 34and projecting at each side of the arm. The wing portions are braced by means of a centrally disposed vertical post 31, riveted at its ends within holes in the wing portions. In the projecting ends of the wing portions at each side of the arm there are secured vertically disposed pivot pins 38-448, upon which are pivotally mounted the pincer-like gripper member 39-39, these gripper members being respectively provided at their inner ends with flat gripping surfaces 40-40, which in the closed gripping position are substantially parallel to each other. The gripper members are normally held in this gripping position by means of a pair of compression strings 4l-4l, engaged of this frame, and as will hereinafter more fully appear.

The reel is frictionally restrained inits rotation. by means of a flexible spring member 24, preferably consisting of ,a rectangular sheet of non-conducting material such as heavy gauge Celluloid, and which is secured to the rearward face of the cross-bar l3 by screws 25, the Celluloid sheet depending from the cross-bar l3 and being curved and tensioned through its engagement with the relatively large diameter end plates of the reel. The length of the sheet 24 is such that the end plates of the reel will remain in contact therewith as the reel is shifted longitudinally upon the shaft It. I In spaced relation below the reel there is provided a crank shaft 26, having its ends journaled in flanged washers 2'l2l, formed of non-conducting insulating material, such as fiber, and set into holes '23-28 in the upright bars II], the ends of this crank shaft projecting outwardly to support the operating crank levers of the device, as will presently more fully appear.

To the lower ends of the upright bars l0 angle iron supports 2929 are secured by bolts and nuts fill-+30, which enable the device to be conveniently bolted to a suitable mounting, which mounting will also preferably mount the velocity testing gun in aligned relation with its muzzle end crossed by the vertical stringing line of the wire 22.

Within the slot l5 of each of the upright side bars In there is provided for vertical movement a wire gripper adapted to have vertical reciprothreaded end of the shaft extension 32. By adjusting this knob member, the pressure of the catory movement imparted thereto by crank means, presently to be more fully described, and so connected that the wire gripper at one side moves upwardly as the Wire gripper at the other side moves downwardly, the two wire grippers in the operative wire holding position being disposed respectively adjacent the upper and lower crossbars H and I3, with a length of Wire strung vertically between them, as shown in Fig. 1. As the 'tWo wire grippers are identical, the same reference characterswill be applied to the corresponding parts of each of them.

Each wire gripper comprises a horizontally disposed holder arm 3l of rectangular cross-section, provided at its outer end with a threaded shaft extension 32, adapted to project beyond the outer surface of the uprightbar Ill, the end portion'of the arm adjacent this shaft extension being adapted to fit slid'ably within the slot l5 and being positioned against outward displacement by means of laterally projecting shoulder projections 33-33 adapted to engage the inner surface of the upright ID at each side of the slot. At its at their respective ends in pocket formations 42l2 in each side of the holder arm 3| and pocket'formations 43-43 in the respective inner sides of the outwardly extending lever portions of the gripper members.

Upon the shaft extension 32 there is engaged a flanged bearing bushing 44, formed of nonconducting insulating material, such as fiber, and having its flanged end engaged against the outer surface of the upright bar If), this bearing bushing having rotatably engaged thereon the upper aperture d end of a connecting rod 45 which is held upon the bushing by means of a bearing ring member 46, also formed of non-conducting insulating material, such as fiber, and which is held in place upon the bushing by means of a spacer washer 41, this washer being engaged at its outer surface by the inner end of a compression string 48 engaged about the hubof an adjustable knob member 49 screwed upon the outer spring may be increased or diminished as desired, it being pointed out that the spring exerts outward pressure upon the gripper holder arm 3| and inward pressure upon the bushing 44 to frictionally retain the position of the arm in the slot t5, While permitting it to be slidably raised and lowered therein upon operation of the crank means It will be seen that the insulating bushing' 44 and the insulating ring M5 provide an electrical insulation between the gripper holder arm 3! and the connecting rod 45, as well as between the upright bar [0 and the connecting The operating crank means for imparting reciprocation to the wire grippers consists of a crank arm 50 secured upon one projecting end of the crank shaft 26 by a key pin 5| and pivotally connected at its end by a bolt and nut con nection 52 to the lower end of the connecting rod 45 at one side, and adiametrically oppositely extending crank arm 53 secured to the other projecting end of the crank shaft by a key pin 54, and pivotally connected by a boltand nut connection 55 to the lower end of the connecting rod 45 at the other side at a point along the arm '53 spaced from the axis of the shaft 26 to correspond to the length of the crank arm 50. The crank arm 53 is extended beyond its connection with the connecting rod to provide an operating handle extension, preferably provided at its end with a hand-grip knob 55 for convenience in swinging the crank arm upwardly or downwardly. The crank arm 53 being removed from the crank arm 50, upward or downward movement of one takes place during the opposite movement of the other, and consequently one gripper member will be moved upwardly as the other is moved downwardly.

Cam means for opening and closing the wire grippers is provided upon each of the upright bars l0. Each such cam means comprises a pair of cam members 515l, pivotally mounted at their lower ends upon the respective forward and rearward sides of the upright bar by means of pivot screws 58-58, and each of these cam members being provided intermediate its upper and lower ends with a slot 59 engaged by a screw 60 screwed into the upright bar to permit limited swinging movement of the cam member. The two cam members project inwardly relatively to the inner surface of the upright l0 so that they are in the vertical plane of the path of movement of the outer ends of the wire gripper members, their lower end portions being parallel to each other, while their upper end portions are flared outwardly, as at 6|. Upon the undersides of the outwardly flared upper end portions there are secured by welding or other suitable means downwardly depending outwardly inclined cam plate members 62-62 which are disposed in the vertical upward path of the outer ends of the gripper members in the normal closed position of the lower wire gripper. A relatively light-weight wire spring 63, of inverted V-form, is secured at its bight beneath the head of the set screw l2 and its divergent bowed leg portions are respectively engaged in notches 64-64 in the outer edges of the upper ends of the cam members,

pressing them inwardly to their normal position. The operation of the cam means is such that during the upward movement of the wire gripper, the outer tail ends of the two gripper members move at the outer sides of the parallel lower portions of the cam members out of contact therewith, and thereupon contact the inclined cam plates 62 causing the cam members to swing outwardly against the pressure of the relatively light spring 63 to allow the gripper members to move upwardly beyond the upper flared ends of the cam members, the gripper members being in their closed wire gripping position during the entire upward movement. During the downward movement of the wire gripper the tail ends of the gripper members move inside the outwardly flared upper ends of the cam members, the continued downward movement causing the outer tail ends of the gripper members to be compressed, as they engage the flared ends and pass downwardly between the inner parallel surfaces of the cam members, and the wire gripping jaws of the gripper members to be spread into open position. The opening of the wire gripper moving downwardly at one side allows the passage through its open pincer jaws of the closed pincer jaws of the wire gripper moving upwardly at the other side, and as shown clearly in Figs. 5 and 6. As the downwardly moving wire gripper moves below the lower ends of the cam members its two gripper members are released and moved to their closed position under the pressure of the springs 4|, the releasing point being sufficiently spaced above the cross-bar [3, which determines the lower position of the gripper member, so that the gripper member is closed for a short period during its final downward movement, this being for the purpose of imparting tension to the strung wire, and as will presently more fully appear.

In operation the wire feeder'device is set up to align the vertically strung wire with the muzzle of the testing gun 65, the latter being aimed at the target 66 spaced a predetermined distance from the gun, as illustrated diagrammatically in Fig. 4. The target 66 is of any suitable known type wherein an electric circuit is broken as the bullet hits it. The wire feeder device and the target are electrically connected by separate electric circuits 6'! and 68 to the chronometer and registrar of the ballistic chronograph 69 and to its disjunctor device 10, the conductor wires of the chronometer circuit 61 being connected to the two upright bars in. As these two bars are electrically insulated from each other, except for the length of conductor wire strung between the two wire grippers, breakage of this wire breaks the circuit 61 and actuates the chronometer of the chronograph, the registrar of the chronograph being actuated upon breaking the circuit 68 at the target 66. The chronograph illustrated by way of example is the well-known Bouleng chronograph, but it will be understood that the device of the invention may be used with any suitable type of chronograph.

In initially stringing the wire feeder device, the wire 22 is drawn from the reel and its end engaged by the lower wire gripper, the crank arm 63 being then actuated to move the lower wire gripper upwardly and the upper wire gripper downwardly, the upwardly moving wire gripper remaining in closed position as it moves over the cam plates 62 of the cam members 51, and the downwardly moving wire gripper being opened as the outer tail ends of its gripper members move between the cam members 51, as shown in Figs. 5 to 7. This downwardly moving wire gripper moves below the lower ends of the cam members 51 before it completes its downward travel, so that it closes upon the wire, and through the final upward movement of the upper wire gripper and downward movement of the lower wire gripper the length of wire between them is tensioned.

In the velocity test, the wire is broken by impact of the bullet H and at the same instant breaks the chronometer circuit 67 of the chronograph. For each successive velocity test a new length of wire is strung simply by swinging the crank arm upwardly or downwardly from its previously moved position. The broken end of wire held by the upper wire gripper is automatically released as the downwardly moving upper wire gripper is opened through engagement within the cam members 51, and at the same time the lower Wire gripper carries the end of the replacement length of wire held thereby upwardly through the open jaws of the downwardly moving wire gripper, the two wire grippers finally moving to their upper and lower operative positions, indicated by the dot-and-dash lines in Figs. 5 and 6, where the replacement length ofwire is tensioned and held.

The form of the invention illustrated in the drawings and described herein is typical and illustrative only, and it is evident that the inven tion is capable of embodiments in other forms, all falling within the scope of the appended claims, which are to be broadly construe What is claimed is: 1. In a wire feeder device, a frame including a pair of spaced parallel guide members, a pair of reciprocating wire gripper means respectively carried for reciprocatory movement by said guide members and each adapted to be electrically connected to a chronograph, or the like, and conductor-wire supply means arranged with respect to the said wire'gripper means to supply successive lengths of replacement strands to be engaged members from each other, a pair of reciprocating wire gripper means respectively carried for reciprocatory movement by said guide members, and conductor wire supply means arranged with respect to'the said wire gripper means to supply successive lengths of replacement strands to be engaged by said gripper means to provide a breakable electrical conductor extended between them, said gripper meansconstituting electrical conductors between said wire and said guide members.

3. In a wire feeder device, a frame including a pair of spaced parallel guide members, a pair of reciprocating wire gripper means respectively carried for reciprocatory movement by said guide members and each adapted to be electrically connected to a chronograph, or the like, conductor wire supply means arranged with respect to the said wire gripper means to supply successive lengths of, replacement strands to be engaged by said gripper means to provide a breakable electrical conductor extended between them, and actuating means connected to said wire gripper means to impart simultaneous reciprocatory movementthereto in opposed directions, whereby one of said gripper means moves in one direction to feed a length of wire from said supply means as the other moves in the opposite direction.

4. In a wire feeder device, a frame including a pair of spaced parallel guide members, a pair of reciprocating wire gripper means respectively carried for reciprocatory movementby said guide members and each adapted to be electrical connected to a chronograph, or the like, conductor wire supply means arranged with respect to the said wire gripper means to supply successive lengths of replacement strands to be engaged by said gripper means to provide a breakable electrical conductor extended between them, and actuating means comprising a pair of operatively connected oppositely arranged crank means respectively connected to said wire gripper means to impart simultaneous v reciprocatory movement thereto in opposed directions, whereby one of said gripper means moves in one direction to feed a length of wire from said supply means as the other moves in the opposite direction.

5. In a wire feeder device, a frame including a pair of spaced parallel guide members, a pair of reciprocating wire gripper means respectively carried for reciprocatory movement by said guide members and each adapted to be electrically connected to a chronograph, or the like, said wire gripper means each having a pair of movable wire gripping jaws disposed in their closed position in alignment with each other and adapted in the open position of one pair of jaws to permit passage therethrough of the other pair of jaws in the closed position of the latter, and conductor wire supplymeans arranged with respect to the'said wire gripper mean to supply successive lengths of replacement strands to be engaged by the jaws of said gripper means to provide a breakable electrical conductor extended between them.

lating means arranged to insulate said guide 6. In a wire feeder device, a'frame including a members and each adapted to be electrically connected to a chronograph, or the like, said wire gripper means each having a pair of movable wire gripping jaws disposed in their closed position in alignment with each other and adapted in the open position of one pair of jaws to permit passage therethrough of the other pair in the closed position of the latter, conductor wire supply means arranged in aligned relation with the direction of reciprocation of said wire gripper means to supply successive lengths of replacement strands to be engaged by the jaws of said gripper means to provide a breakable electrical conductor extended between them, actuating means connected to said wire gripper means to impart simultaneous reciprocatory movement thereto in opposed directions, whereby one of said gripper means moves in one direction toward said supply means as the other moves in the opposite direction away from said supply means, and cam means arranged to open the jaws of said gripper mean during the reciprocatory movement there-' of in said one direction toward said supply means; to permit passage therethrough of the closed jaws of the gripper means moving-in said opposite direction away from said supply means.

'7. In a wire feeder device, a frame including a pair of spaced parallel guide members, a pair of reciprocating wire gripper means respectively carried for reciprocatory movement by said guide members and each adapted to be electrically connected to a chronograph, or the like, said wire gripper means each having a pair of movable wire gripping jaws disposed in their closed position in alignment with each other and adapted in the open position of one pair of jaws to permit passage therethrough of the other pair in the closed position of the latter, conductor wire supply posite direction away from said supply means,

and cam means arranged to open the jaws of said gripper means during the reciprocatory movement thereof in said one direction toward said supply means to permit passage th'erethrough of the closed jaws of the gripper means moving in said opposite direction away from said supply means, said cam means being yieldably mounted to be engaged and by-passed by said' gripper mean mov ng away from said supply means.

ii. In a wlre feeder device, a frame including a pair of spaced parallel guide members, a pair of rec1procating wire gripper means respectively carried for reciprocatory movement by said guide members and each adapted to be electrically connected to a chronograph, or the like, said wire gr pper means each having a pair of movable wire gr pping jaws disposed in their closed position in alignment with each other and adapted in the open position of one pair of jaws to permit passage therethrough of the other pair in the closed position of the latter, conductor wire supply means arranged in aligned relation with the direction of reciprocation of said wire gripper means to supply successive length of replacement strands to be engaged by the jaws of said gripper means to provide a breakable electrical conductor extended between them, actuating means connected to said wire gripper means to impart simultaneous reciprocatory movement thereto in opposed directions, whereby one of said gripper means moves in one direction toward said upply means as the other moves in the opposite direction away from said supply means, and cam means arranged to open the jaws of said gripper means during the reciprocatory movement thereof in aid one direction toward said supply means to permit passage therethrough of the closed jaws of the gripper means moving in said opposite direction away from said supply means. said cam means terminating short of the full movement of said gripper means toward said supply means whereby the jaws of said gripper means close to impart tension to the wire during the final movement of said gripper means.

CARL J. L. MOS. 

